Growing your own avocado tree is easier than you might think and a great way to get kids interested in plants
Avocados are one of the wonderful fruits of summer. While the health benefits include high nutrition and healthy fats, nothing signals the start of summer like a zesty lime guacamole dip with tortilla chips. The next time you’re making your daily avocado toast or slicing a ripe avocado for a salad, try saving your pits to grow your avocado tree.
It’s surprisingly easy to grow an avocado tree from seed, and it makes a great educational project for home and classrooms. Check out our handy-dandy guide below.
1. Remove and clean the pit
You’ll need to start by removing the pit from the avocado carefully (without cutting it), and then washing it clean of all the avocado fruit (often it helps to soak the pit in some water for a few minutes and then scrub off all the remaining fruit). Be careful not to remove the brown skin on the pit – that’s the seed cover.
2. Locate which end is the top and which is the bottom
Some avocado pits are slightly oblong, whereas others are shaped almost like perfect spheres – but all avocado pits have a ‘bottom’ (from where the roots will grow), and a ‘top’ (from which the sprout will grow). The slightly pointier end is the top, and the flat end is the bottom.
To get your pit to sprout, you will need to place the bottom root end in water, so it’s very important to figure out which end is the ‘top’ and which is the ‘bottom’ before you go piercing it with toothpicks.
Try this recipe for Avocado Pesto Pasta.
3. Pierce with three toothpicks
Take three toothpicks and stick them at a slight downward angle into the avocado seed firmly, spaced evenly around the circumference of the avocado. These toothpicks are your avocado scaffolding, which will allow half the avocado to rest in water.
I recommend sticking them in at a slight angle (pointing down) so that more of your avocado base rests in the water when you set this over a glass. If you’re struggling to balance your avocado seed there are now several growing kits on the market, as well as stylish glass and jar toppers which cradle the seed and make this process easier.
4. Submerge half of the avocado seed in water
Sit the avocado on a quiet windowsill where it’ll receive a ton of sunlight. It’s helpful to use a clear glass so you can easily see when roots start to grow, and also when the water needs to be changed. Many guides recommend changing the water every day, but I found, through trial and error, that it is better to change the water every five days to a week or so. Changing the water regularly is important, to prevent mould, bacteria and fungus growth, which can doom your little avocado sprout. Do not allow your taproot to dry out unsubmerged as doing so will likely kill the plant.
For other fruits, vegetables and herbs to grow on your windowsill, read this helpful guide.
5. Wait for your avocado seed to sprout
Many growing guides claim sprouting can take anywhere from two to four weeks, but in my experience, it usually takes at least eight weeks to get a sprout, so be patient. The process goes as follows:
- The top of the avocado pit will dry out and form a crack, and the outer brown seed skin will slough off.
- The crack will extend from the top of the avocado pit, and through the crack at the bottom, a tiny taproot will emerge.
- The taproot will grow longer and longer (and may branch), and eventually a small sprout will peek through the top of the avocado pit.
6. Pot in soil when the tree is about 15cm tall
When the stem is about 15cm long, cut it back to about 8cm to encourage new growth. When it hits 15cm again, pot it up in a rich humus soil in a 25cm diameter pot, leaving the top half of the seed exposed. Place on a sunny windowsill. Avocados love the sun – the more sun the better.
7. Water and watch your avocado tree grow
Give it frequent waterings with an occasional deep soak. The soil should always be moist, but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.
8. Pinch out the top leaves to encourage bushiness
When the stem reaches 12 inches tall, pinch out the top two sets of leaves. This will encourage the plant to grow side shoots and more leaves, making it bushy. Each time the avocado tree grows another 6 inches pinch out the 2 newest sets of leaves on top.
Related articles:
- The secret to growing rosemary from cuttings
- How to care for a Mediterranean-style potted olive tree
- Vegetables and herbs to grow that will actually save you money
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